Flange to base mounting structure



Feb. 13, 1962 s. SWISLOW 3,021,105

FLANGE TO BASE MOUNTING STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 17, 1959 INVENTOR SIDNEY Swasuow ilnited rates 3,@Zl,lfl5 Patented Feb. 13, 1962 3,021,105 FLANGE T BASE MOUNTING STRUCTURE Sidney Swislow, Glencoe, IlL, assignor to Harwood Manufacturing Co., Chicago, EL, a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 860,153 Claims. (Cl. 248-223) The present invention relates generally to mounting structure and more particularly to structure for detachably mounting a first element on the wall of a second or base element.

Many devices comprise a number of parts which when assembled constitute a bulky or fragile mechanism. Devices of this nature must be disassembled before they can be shipped. The subsequent assemblage of the shipped disassembled parts by the recipient can be rather time consuming and complicated.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid these difiiculties and to provide structure which enables each of a number of disassembled elements to be detachably mounted on or dismounted from the wall of a base element in a relatively short time.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide mounting structure of the type described and which further enables the disassembled elements to be detachably mounted on the wall of the base element without the use of auxiliary fastening means such as screws and the like.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of mounting structure which is readily fabricated and economical as to cost.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of mounting structure which makes the assemblage of elements incorporating the subject structure the essence of simplicity.

Other objects and advantages are inherent in the structure disclosed and claimed or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a clock embodying the mounting structure of the present invention and having a plurality of ornamental spears detachably mounted on the peripheral side wall of the clock and in alignment with one of the hour positions on the face of the clock;

FIG. 2 is a perspective, viewed from behind, of an ornamental spear having mounting structure thereon comprising a portion of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the peripheral side wall of the clock, viewed from behind the clock face, and showing mounting structure comprising another portion of the present invention; 7

FIG. 4 is a perspective similar to FIG. 3 and shows one of the ornamental spears mounted on the peripheral side wall and another of the spears in a position preparatory to mounting;

FIG. 5 is a sectional View taken along line 55 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 in FIG. 4.

Generally the present invention comprises means for detachably mounting a bulky fragile attachable element, such as the ornamental metallic spear 12 (FIG. 2), to a base element, such as the peripheral side wall 13 (FIG. 3) of the clock 11 (FIG. 1).

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, spear 12 comprises a pair of identical triangular side portions 14, 15 each extending between a mutual front edge or portion 16 and respective rear edges 18, 19 and each tapering to a point at 17. At one end of spear 12, opposite point 17, are a pair of converging co-planar flanges 20, 21 each extending in opposite directions from a respective side portion 14, 15 and in a mutual plane transverse to front edge 16.

Referring to FIG. 3, side wall 13 includes a pair of converging slideways 22, 23 struck out from wall 13. Each slideway comprises an outwardly extending portion 30 integral with wall 13 and a flap portion 31 substantially parallel with wall 13 and integral with portion 30. Attached to wall 13 by rivets 24 is a leaf spring 25 having a yieldable portion 26 extending outwardly from the wall in the direction in which the slideways converge.

To mount spear 12 on wall 13 the converging flanges 2t), 21 are slidably inserted into respective converging slideways 22, 23 from an upward direction as viewed in FIG. 4, and the spear is moved downwardly until the converging outer edges 28, 29 of the flanges (FIG. 2) are engaged by the interior surfaces of outwardly extending portions 30 of converging slideways 22, 23 thereby stopping downward movement of the flanges (FIGS. 4, 5).

As spear 12 is moved downwardly the end of front edge 16 opposite point 17 slides over and depresses yieldable portion 26 of spring 25. When the spear is in the mounted position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, said position being determined by the engagement of flange outer edges 28, 29 with the interior surfaces of converging slideways 22, 23, the outwardly extending spear front edge '16 is disposed between the slideways and just below the outwardly extending yieldable portion 26 of spring 25. In this position spear 12 cannot be moved upwardly (as viewed in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) because the lower end of yieldable portion 26 engages behind front edge 16 and prevents such movement. Movement of the mounted spear in a downward or sideways direction is, of course, prevented by the engagement of the outwardly extending portions 30 of the converging slideways with the converging outer edges of the inserted flanges. In this connection it should be noted that when spear 12 is moved downwardly a distance sufiicient to allow yieldable spring portion 26 to engage behind front edge 16 there is a slight compression exerted by the engaging converging slideway portions 30 against the engaged converging flange edges 28, 29. This compression causes a flexing inwardly of side portions 14,15 adjacent the flanges. Consequently when the spear is in the mounted position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 there is a natural tendency on the part'of flexed side portions 14, 15 to expand outwardly and return to their normal unflexed condition. As a result flange outside edges 28, 29 are urged outwardly into holding engagement with the interior surfaces of slideway portions 30 and front edge 16 is urged upwardly into firm holding engagement with yieldable spring portion 26.

Movement of the spear in an outward direction away from wall 13 is prevented by the engagement of slideway flap portions 30 with the outer surfaces of the inserted flanges. Thus spear 12 is held firmly on wall 13 against movement in all directions by the mounting structure described above. Spear 12 may be removed from wall '13 merely by manually depressing yieldable portion 26 to a position against Wall 13 so that edge 16 may be slid up over it (FIG. 6).

There is thus provided a simple, economical mounting structure which enables disassembled elements to be rapidly mounted on or dismounted from the wall of a base element, and which dispenses with the need for auxiliary fastening means.

It is to be understood that the mounting structure constituting the present invention is not limited to .means for mounting spears on side walls as described above and shown in the drawings. This specific embodiment is merely illustrative of one of the many forms which the invention may take in practice without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims which are to be interpreted as broadly as possible.

I claim: I 1. Mounting structure comprising a base element and an attachable element, said attachable element comprising a front portion, a pair of flexible side portions extending angularly from said front portion, said side portions being flexible to be compressible to reduce the angular relation therebetween, a rear edge on each of said flexible side portions, and a pair of co-planar flanges each extending in opposite directions from a respective one of said flexible side portions at one end of said attachable element between the front portion and a respective one of said rear edges, said base element comprising a wall portion, a pair of slideways on said Wall portion, each of said slideways comprising means for slida bly receiving a respective one of said flanges slidably inserted from a first direction, means for limiting sliding movement of said received flanges through the slideways in a second direction opposite said first direction and means for compressing said flexible side portions, said front portion extending outwardly from between the slideways when the flanges are in the slideways and said flexible side portions compressed by said compressing means; and yieldable means attached to the wall portion between the slideways, said front portion being disposed to one side of said yieldable means in said second direction therefrom, a portion of said yieldable means normally extending outwardly from the wall portion and in said second direction and including means for engaging said attachable element behind said front portion thereof when the latter is disposed and its flexible sides compressed between the slideways to restrict a reactive movement in said first direction urged by said compressed flexible side portions and to prevent sliding movement of the attachable element in said first direction and thereby prevent sliding withdrawal of said received flanges from the slideways.

2. Mounting structure comprising a base element and an attachable element, said attachable element comprising a pair of resilient side portions each diverging from a mutual front edge, each of said resilient side portions having a rear edge, and a pair of co-planar flanges each extending in an opposite direction from a respective one of said resilient side portions at one end of said attachable element between said front edge and said rear edge of the respective resilient side portion, said flanges converging toward said front edge, said base element comprising a wall portion, a pair of converging slideways on said wall portion, each of said slideways comprising means for slidably receiving a respective one of said flanges inserted from a first direction, means for limiting sliding movement of said flanges in a second direction opposite said first direction and means for transversely flexing said resilient side portions, said front edge extending outwardly from between the slideways when the flanges are in the slideways and said resilient side portions transversely flexed, and yieldable spring means attached to the wall portion between the slideways, said front edge being disposed to one side of said spring means in said second direction therefrom, a portion of said spring means normally extending outwardly and in said second direction from the wall portion and including means for engaging said attachable element behind the front edge thereof when the front edge is disposed between the slideways to closely limit the reactive movement of the attachable element in said first direction urged by said transversely flexed resilient side portions and thereby prevent sliding withdrawal of said received flanges from the slideways, said angularly extending portion of said yieldaole spring means being depressible inwardly toward said wall portion for disengagement from said attachable element;

3. Mounting structure comprising a base element and an attachable element, said attachable element comprising a front portion, a pair of side portions extending angularly from said front portion, a rear edge on each of said side portions, and a pair of co-planar flanges each extending in opposite directions from a respective one of said side portions at one end of said attachable element between said front portion and a respective one of said rear edges, said flanges having outer edges mutually converging toward said front portion, said base element comprising a wall portion, a pair of converging slide ways onsaid wall portion, each of said slideways facing the other and including means for receiving a respective one of said flanges slidably inserted from a first direction and means for compressively engaging said outer edges of said received flanges so as to flex said angular side portions whereby the flange outer edges are urged by said flexed side portions into holding engagement with said slideway engaging means, and means for preventing sliding movement of said received flanges through said slideways in a second direction opposite said first direction, and means for preventing sliding withdrawal of said received flanges from said slideways in said first direction.

4. Mounting structure as recited in claim 3 wherein said withdrawal-preventing means comprises a leaf spring attached to said wall portion between said slideways, said front portion of the attachable element extending outwardly from between the slideways when the flanges are in the slideways, said front portion being disposed to one side of said leaf spring in said second direction therefrom, said leaf spring having a yieldable portion normally extending outwardly from said wall portion and in said second direction and including means for engaging said attachable element behind said front portion thereof when the latter is disposed between the slideways to prevent movement of said attachable element in said first direction, said yieldable portion being depressible inwardly against said wall portion for disengagement from said top portion.

5. Mounting structure as recited in claim 3 wherein each of said converging slideways comprises a mutually converging portion integral with and extending outwardly from said wall portion and a mutually converging flap portion integral with and extending from said outwardly extending portion and substantially parallel to said wall portion, said slideways being struck out from said wall portion, said outwardly extending portions each providing means, for engaging a respective one of said converging outer edges on said received flanges to prevent movement of the received flanges in said second direction and in a pair of opposite directions each transverse to said first and second directions and said flap portions providing means for engaging the outer surface of a respective received flange to prevent movement of the flange in an outward direction away from said wall portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,986 Heizer Nov, 20, 1900 2,210,235 Filbert Aug. 6, 1940 2,897,928 Selig Aug. 4, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 122,089 Sweden June 29, 1948 

